Forget Red vs. Blue -- It's Slave States vs. Free States in 2012

[Seedersandleechers]

A century and a half later, we've come full circle: The red-blue state divide falls along Confederate-Union lines.



Every now and then someone highlights the overlap between today’s Republican states and the slave states of the former Confederacy. As clichéd as the point may be, it remains indispensable to understanding what is happening in American politics today:




Confederate (red) and Union (blue) states


Republican (red) and Democratic (blue) states, 2008 election
http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/how-white-conservative-south-took-over-gop-and-may-take-over-america

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. The "Blue and the Gray" vs. "Blue and Red" has been the essential dividing line since the 1960s.

And passage of the Civil Rights Act and overnight defection of Dixiecrats to the GOP, then solidified with the Nixon "Southern Strategy".

The only real change since then is that in the last several years the GOP is losing its appeal in the Midwest, the Democrats are chipping their way into the Solid GOP South with VA and NC wins in 2008, and there aren't enough electoral votes in Dixie to maintain success in national elections. Voter suppression efforts are a short term stop gap measure at best for the GOP since demographics will overwhelm even those with time.

They will have to modify their approach within the next ten years, or possibly even by 2016.

[hfojvt]

2. sure, as long as you don't count Kansas, Nebraska, Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Arizona

and Nevada and Alaska and Hawaii.

And ignore Missouri, Kenticky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.

And ignore the fact that Iowa, Indiana and Ohio are NOT reliably blue. Nor is New Hampshire.

And ignore 1996 when Clinton won Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky.

As he did in 1992 when he also won Georgia.

[unc70]

3. History of slave vs free states is flawed

There were slaves in northern states al the way to 1868, while there were many anti-slavery pro-Union supporters in the "slave" states. And often, "free" was really "white only".

Too simplistic a model to be dragging out at the moment. I am not defending slavery, just pointing out that the history books were written by those funded by the slave traders in RI, MA, and NY.